


Connection

by Keylime_Pi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gravity Falls, Miraculous Ladybug, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Star vs. The Forces Of Evil, The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Akumatized Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Angella is Rescued (She-Ra), Angst, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Glimmer Needs a Hug (She-Ra), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multi, but only imagined, implied PTSD, magic returns to mewni, there's so much to tag help me, yes we're really doing this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28226520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keylime_Pi/pseuds/Keylime_Pi
Summary: A lot of my favourite shows have portals in them (and some of them don't, but I'm keeping them in)...so what if they all combined?Entrapta and Hordak have made an extreme portal, and are travelling to other dimensions. But what is this? The other dimensions are those of delightful cartoons! *cue le gasp*
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Angella/Micah (She-Ra), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Eclipsa Butterfly/Globgor, Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Kyle/Lonnie/Rogelio (She-Ra), Mabel Pines/Other(s), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz
Comments: 15
Kudos: 51





	1. Into Gravity Falls

**Author's Note:**

> There's a thing in here about Angella's hair not being sparkly because angels give their kids their sparkles - I have no idea who started that theory, but I love it so I'm using it! Props to whoever first spear-headed that, it's brilliant.

_Dipper Pines’s POV ___

__It’s not on many maps, and it’s easy to miss, but I’ve gone there every summer since I was twelve - Gravity Falls, Oregon. A small town with some big secrets._ _

__This year is no exception. I stare out the window with increasingly wide eyes as we grow nearer. My twin sister Mabel snores on my shoulder, hugging her pet pig, Waddles, to her chest. I smile. It’s been a long ride from California, and I would be asleep now, too, if I wasn’t so excited._ _

__The bus pulls up to a battered wooden cabin, the words “Mystery Shack” haphazardly hammered to its face. I shake Mabel. “Hey, we’re here.”_ _

__Immediately her eyes snap open and she’s off the bus before I have time to grab my bags. Stepping off the vehicle, I think again about how it seems like none of this has changed._ _

__A large man in a suit comes running out of the Mystery Shack. “Dudes! You’re here!” Soos picks us up in a breath-expelling hug._ _

__I pat his back and am relieved when he releases us. “Hey, Soos.”_ _

__“Hi, Soos!” Mabel waves Waddles’s hoof, and in a sillier voice, out of the corner of her mouth, repeats, “Hi, Soos!”_ _

__Soos pats Waddles’s head affectionately. “It’s good to see ya, pal.”_ _

__“Are Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford asleep or something? Why didn’t they run out like you!?” Mabel sounds almost offended, craning her neck to get a glance at the Shack’s door._ _

__“They’re picking up some food from the bakery,” Soos explains. “Wendy’s coming over soon, too.”_ _

__“W-Wendy?” I can’t help the blush that flares up. It’s been three years, but I still carry that dumb old crush._ _

__“Yes, WWWWWWWendy,” Mabel teases._ _

__“Shut up,” I mumble, shoving her shoulder with mine._ _

__“Kids!” A car pulls up, an older man waving his hand emphatically from the open window._ _

__“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel and I both rush to the car and engulf our great uncle in a hug as soon as he gets out._ _

__“Whoah! Whoah! Don’t crush me!” Grunkle Stan pats our heads and turns out of our hug to grab cupcakes sitting on the passenger’s seat. “They’re a little old, but they’re still selling ‘em, so they must be edible!”_ _

__Our great uncle Ford gets out of the other side. “I’m glad you allowed me to drive this time, Stanley - we wouldn’t have cupcakes, otherwise.”_ _

__“You can eat crumpled things!” Stan argues._ _

__“Yes!” Mabel agrees. “More crumpled, the better!”_ _

__“Says the girl who invented Mabel Juice,” I point out. I gag at the mere thought._ _

__“First day here and they’re already in a fight. Great going, Ford.” Stan’s words don’t hold any bite, and he’s grinning._ _

__Ford chuckles, adjusting his glasses. “Right, right, sorry. It’s good to see you kids. How was the ride here?”_ _

__We head over to our other Grunkle, hugging him, too. “It was good,” Mabel says. “But really long. I wish we could just live here and not have to be on that smelly old bus every summer.”_ _

__“Hey, try doing it when you’re our age.” Stan rolls his eyes and sighs. “You know, if we ever find any of that treasure, we’re buying a private jet.”_ _

__“Ah, yes. Not more equipment to help with investigations, but a private jet,” Ford remarks with distaste._ _

__“Listen, brainiac, I don’t wanna have to haul myself onto that rusted out piece of crap every year.”_ _

__“I understand, Stan, but a _private jet?” _____

_____“They’re comfortable!” _____ _ _

______The two continue to bicker while Mabel and I just snicker. We leave the two to their argument while Soos shows us inside the Shack._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Your room’s set up upstairs, dudes. Me and Melonie can help take your stuff.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Melonie, Soos’s girlfriend, grins at us from behind the counter. “Sure can.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ooooh, just look at you two!” Mabel squeals happily and hugs Soos with her one arm not towing a suitcase. “And to think it was my matchmaking that did it!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That and a haunted video game,” Soos says._ _ _ _ _ _

______Melonie shudders, then heads over to us. “Here, what can I take.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s okay.” I puff out my chest and grab my bags tighter. “I got this.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Mabel snorts. “He’s just proud because he got some chest hair.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mabel!” I turn crimson. “I’m, like, almost sixteen! I have plenty of chest hair. And, you know, being a man is about more than chest hair.” I stick out my tongue at my sister._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, apparently it’s also about listening to BABA.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Top 100s are Top 100s for a reason!” _____ _ _ _ _

________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________By the time we’ve unpacked and headed back downstairs, Ford, Stan, Soos, and Melonie are sitting having cupcakes and coffee. We join them at the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So,” Ford says as he finishes swallowing. “I’ve had a thought - everyone will be over soon and want to shower you all with attention like usual, so in the meantime, why don’t you and I do some old-fashioned monster hunting, Dipper?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I can feel my eyes light up. “Absolutely! I’ve been waiting all year for this! There’s, like, no good monsters in California.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Never did like California,” Ford mutters half to himself. “Alright, then, Dipper, grab a cupcake and let’s go!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We head out of the Mystery Shack with two backpacks full of equipment, just like old times. The forest lays in front of us with nothing but opportunity…at least in theory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“This is…quite disappointing, isn’t it?” Grunkle Ford says after about two hours with no readings or interesting sightings._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I sigh. “I mean, this is kind of like every year - once you’ve fought off an inter-dimensional triangle madman, it’s kinda hard to get excited over anything paranormal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ford chuckles. “I suppose so.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I’m just about to put away my electric-energy sensor when it starts going off like crazy in my hand. I grab Ford’s arm. “Oh my god. Oh my god. _Oh my GOD!” _____ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“These readings are incredible!” Ford grabs the device from me, his eyes wide. “I…I’ve only ever encountered this high of a reading once, when - ” He stops. His face grows grim. “A portal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“A portal?” I echo. “You think there’s a portal somewhere nearby?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No, but I think there’s about to be one.” Ford grabs me and tugs me back a few feet until the reading starts to go down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________There’s a burst of light right where we were seconds ago, and then three people emerge from a glowing white panel. The panel disappears._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It worked!” One of the people exclaims. She bounces around on her two huge purple pigtails, using them as extra limbs. “It really worked!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It worked!” The tallest of the three (if you didn’t include the added height of the hair from the first) throws his arms in the air. “Thank Mara!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The third is a little less excited than her companions, seeming actually scared. “G-great…it worked…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t worry, this portal is much stabler than the other one. You know…” The first one trails off, her face saddening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The third tenses, and her already sparkly hair starts to shimmer more intensely. “Right. Right.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I lock eyes suddenly with the second. He stops his celebration and points nervously towards Ford and me. “Guys?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The other two look over at us. The purple-haired one squeals and bounds over to us. Ford draws me away protectively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What are you!?” Ford demands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oooooh! You can talk!” She cocks her head and her eyes scan us. “We are ~Etherians~.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What are _you? _” The sparkly one counters, clinging to the tall one.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Human beings,” Ford says, his jaw clenched. “N-now, we don’t want any trouble.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Trouble? Why would we bring that?” The purple-haired one looks genuinely confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“We’ve had experience with demons,” I spit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“But we’re not demons,” she says. “We’re Etherians. Did you not hear me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Okaaaaay, Entrapta.” The tall one puts his hands on Entrapta’s shoulders and moves her farther away from us. “Let’s not antagonize these folks. Um…let’s start over.” He sticks out his hand and smiles. “Hi! I’m Bow. We’re from Etheria, and we’ve been working on inter-dimensional portals. It’s an honour to be in your dimension.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I blink at him. There’s something…so genuinely _nice _about him. I hesitantly stick out my hand and shake his, to Ford’s surprise.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Dipper Pines,” I say. “This is my Grunkle - er, ah, great uncle Ford.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Bow nods, smiling politely at Ford. “Nice to meet you. This is my friend Entrapta and my, um, friend Glimmer.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“They’re in a romantic coupling, they’re not friends,” Entrapta interjects, her head buried behind an electronic device._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You should still be friends with whoever you date,” Glimmer points out. She moves slowly over to Bow and half-hides behind him, nodding to us. “It’s nice to meet you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Yes…” Ford twists his lips then nods back. “Sorry we were so rude. We’ve, uh…well, like Dipper said, we’ve had experience with demons. Inter-dimensional, evil ones, to be specific.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, we’re only one of those things!” Bow’s smile widens. “So, um…where are we?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re on Earth,” Ford says. “That’s our planet. I can give you approximate estimations of what you’d call our dimension, if you’d like. Though I’d have to translate from other languages.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________When Bow looks perplexed, I explain, “He’s been in weird dimensions before. For like forty years.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh.” Bow doesn’t quite seem to understand still, but he nods again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I hope it’s not rude to ask if we could study you a bit?” Ford says. “Your hair mechanics…both of you two - ” He points to Entrapta and Glimmer. “It’s quite fascinating.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’m half-immortal angel,” Glimmer explains. “So…yeah, fascinating’s probably the right word.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Entrapta’s hair…no one really knows what’s going on there,” Bow says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Entrapta bounds back over to us. “I’m the only princess of Etheria without magical ties to a Runestone, and my specialty is tech, so this is just a fun defect. An imperfection that makes life amazing!” She giggles and claps two strands of hair together like hands applauding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I stare at her in awe. The tech, the mask…she’s beautiful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You can…study us, I guess,” Bow says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“As long as you agree to come back to Etheria!” Entrapta claps her hair again. “This is so exciting! Real live specimens!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“This Etheria - is it dangerous?” Ford’s got a serious expression._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Not anymore.” Bow puffs out his chest. “We defeated an evil warlord who wanted to destroy the universe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Cult-leader may be a more apt term,” Glimmer mutters. I notice she tenses up after Bow mentions the evil warlord/cult-leader._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Bow seems to deflate slightly. His expression softens, and he wraps an arm around Glimmer. “Sorry,” he whispers, and I can barely pick it up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Glimmer just mutters something and shuffles further into his embrace._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“We’ll go to Etheria,” I say without even realizing I’ve said it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Entrapta gasps. “Oh, exciting! Amazing! Hordak will be so happy!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Who’s Hordak?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Her ‘boyfriend.’” Glimmer adds quotation marks with an eye-roll._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“B-boyfriend?” I try not to sound sad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“N-not my boyfriend!” Entrapta squeaks, her face suddenly flushed. “Hordak is…Hordak is…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Her boyfriend,” Bow agrees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Entrapta sighs, smacking her welder’s mask over her face again. Muffled, she hisses, “He’s my lab partner. And…yes…we’re…together…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Aw,” Bow and Glimmer mock._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Right, well, let’s get you all back to the lab.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Entrapta snaps her mask back up. “You have a lab!? Yay!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I feel myself blush. I gasp when Bow smacks a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, kid,” he whispers. “I don’t mean to assume, but, uh, take some advice - she’s way too old for you. And, you know, the whole boyfriend thing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________My blush increases. “R-right. Thanks.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Glimmer grabs hold of Bow. “How far away is it? I might be able to teleport us there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You can teleport!?” Ford and I both exclaim._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Glimmer nods. In a flash of pink sparkle confetti, she’s gone. There’s another sprinkling sound nearby, and her voice is cracking as she screams, “BOW!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Immeditaley, he rushes towards her voice. After a few minutes, Bow returns with Glimmer in her arms. She’s pouting and flushed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I forgot I didn’t know where I was…” She grumbles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Bow kisses her temple. “But you’re all better now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He talks to her so calmly and patiently, while I can’t help but think she’s acting like a bit of a child._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Glimmer sighs. “Y-yeah, thanks, Bow.” She hops down from his embrace and to her feet. It looks like she’s about to cry…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Let’s just walk,” Bow suggests. His hand is still on her shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Yeah.” Glimmer nods confidently. “Let’s just walk.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We arrive at the shack and Mabel immediately interrogates our new acquaintances._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What do you mean you found them in the woods!?” Her eyes suddenly start to shine. “Wait - is the hot one a vampire? Is he!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Bow laughs awkwardly. “N-no. Not a vampire.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“He _is _hot, though,” Glimmer mutters with a smirk.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’ll say!” Mabel laughs. “Way too old, though. That’s more Dipper’s department, liking people way too old for him.” She shoves me in the side._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I groan. “Mabel, please, no, stop.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I love your sweater,” Bow suddenly says, gesturing to my sister’s sparkly outfit. Today it’s a giant sequine heart._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I love your crop-top!” Mabel exclaims. “More guys should wear crop-tops.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Bow gasps. “I know, right!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Glimmer pats his arm affectionately. “Please don’t give the speech again, babe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“BABE!? We have a _couple _in our midst!?” Mabel leaps onto the sofa and pats the chair beside it. “Sit! I wanna hear the whole story! How did you two meet? When’d you confess? Have you kissed yet?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Mabel - ” I start._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Well, when we were seven, I was wandering around a market…” Bow sits down in the chair, waving his hands like a practiced story teller. Glimmer just snorts and shakes her head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“He’s as bad as Sea Hawk, isn’t he?” Glimmer grumbles to Entrapta. The other woman sighs and nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I heard that, and thank you, Glim!” Bow sticks out his tongue at his girlfriend, prompting her to do the same, and the entire exchange makes Mabel squeal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Soooooooo cute! Keep going, keep going!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Bow reverts back to his story-mode quickly. “Right! So we became best friends, and when we were seventeen we found a soldier in the woods…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Ford clears his throat. “Maybe we sholud just study the magical haired?” He offers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Mabel throws him an absent-minded thumbs up, still glued to Bow’s story._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________By the time we’ve gotten to the lab, Entrapta has started talking into a recording device and Glimmer has grown more and more anxious. She jumps when the pad strapped to her side starts to vibrate. Apologizing softly, Glimmer takes it out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Hey guys!” She sounds relieved._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Glimmer!” A frantic voice blares from the pad. “Where the heck are you!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Heck? Gosh, Adora. How baby-sitting-mode of you,” another voice sneers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“We’re fine, guys, by the way,” Glimmer deadpans. Her eyes lift up to us. “We’re with some other-dimensionals.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Where are Entrapta and Bow!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Bow’s hanging out with a teenager and Entrapta’s…” She pauses, looking around. “Um…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We quickly realize she isn’t beside us. Glimmer begins to panic, looking around in a flurry of sparkly teleportations. Ford puts his hand on her shoulder after the third one, laughing slightly. “I believe she’s on the ceiling.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Hiiiii, Glimmer!” Glimmer and I both scream as Entrapta drops from the ceiling. “Did you know they had suction-boots!? It’s fascinating!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Glimmer breathes out. “It’s fine, Adora, she was just…on the ceiling.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“WHAT!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I said it’s fine, Adora. Here.” Glimmer spins the pad so Ford and I can see. The screen displays a nervous blonde woman and some human-cat hybrid peering over her shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Ahhh! WHAT ARE THEY!?” The blonde exclaims._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Glimmer rolls her eyes. “Adora, this is Dipper and Ford.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We wave. “Hello!” I say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“They’re friends,” Glimmer clarifies. “Dipper, Ford, this is a Adora and Catra.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Catra claws her way - literally - to be fully on screen. “Hey there. Sorry for Adora. She’s freaking out for no reason.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“They’re in _another dimension _, Catra!”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“And they’re fine, dummy.” Catra’s suddenly looks serious, her gaze flying past us, unfocused. “You are okay, aren’t you, Glimmer?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Not calling me ‘Sparkles?’ You must really be worried. Yes, we’re really fine. They’re very nice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No need to worry,” Ford assures Catra. “We were just about to document your friends in a scientific journal. They won’t come to any harm by our hands.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah,” I say. “Your friends are really fascinating.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Catra curls her lip. “You sound like Entrapta…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I believe your friend Entrapta is also a scientist,” Ford explains._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah, yeah, tinker and make explosions, I got it. Have fun with that.” Catra pokes at the screen, and before it goes blank I hear Adora scream: _“GLIMMER, BLINK TWICE IF YOU’RE IN DANGER!!!” _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Glimmer turns the pad back around to face herself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“They were really worked up,” I note as I grab my new journal and start the heading for the next page._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Glimmer glances at me, her face sad. “Yeah…well, you had to deal with demons, we had to deal with an overlord killing the people we loved and nearly destroying the universe in front of us.” Her brows furrow. “It left us all with some…scars…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Oh…sorry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“No, it’s…whatever. It’s fine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Grunkle Ford steps forward, holding out a box of tissues. “I don’t know if Etheria uses these, but - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Thanks.” Glimmer grabs one and dabs her eyes elegantly. She stops and chokes out a laugh. “Oh, gods, I’m acting like my mom…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“About that, what was it you said you were again? Half-immortal angel?” I ask, pencil in hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Glimmer nods. “Yeah. My mom was one.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Was? But - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Immortal doesn’t mean you can't get stuck between dimensions,” Glimmer says with a bite to her tone. She takes a steadying breath. “A-and my dad is an Etherian human.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Right…” I write it down. “So, you got your sparkly hair - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“From my mom.” Glimmer giggles slightly. “It’s actually kind of funny - when an angel has kids…well, their kids get the sparkles, and they loose them.” She gets a far-off look. “I’ve seen pictures of my mom with sparkles, before I was born…she looked nice with them…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________I write it down quickly, trying to qwell the awkward energy building up. “Th-that’s cool! Wh-what about Entrapta?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“No one knows,” Entrapta says as she bounds over to us. I realize she’s holding a small black box._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Hey, did you find that here?” My heart is already pounding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Yessss, why? What is it?” Entrapta opens the box and I quickly snap the lid shut._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“An infinite die. You roll it and anything could happen. It’s really dangerous.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________It seems that was the wrong thing to say: Entrapta’s magenta eyes begin to sparkle and her mouth widens into a grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Don’t roll it!” I urge, holding the box tighter. “Please.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Entrapta’s grin drops into a frown, her hair loosing some of its poof. “But - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Entrapta, if they say it’s dangeorus, it’s dangerous. Remember the incident with the lab last month?” Glimmer tells her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Entrapta graons. “I know, but - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“But nothing. Half the castle nearly blew up!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Castle?” I echo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Oh, yeah, Glimmer’s a queen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________I nearly drop my journal. “Wh-what?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Yes. I’m Queen of Brightmoon. And Entrapta’s technically a queen, too - she has a kingdom called Dryll.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Entrapta shrugs. “But they just call me a Princess. Never was quite clear on how that worked…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“You’re royalty?” I clarify, mouth still half-agape._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Wow,” Ford breathes. “Um…should we…bow?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“No, no, we’re scientists first!” Entrapta says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Glimmer grimaces. “I-I mean, yeah, I guess. She is anyways. I’m just here to make sure she doesn’t blow herself or anyone else up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Ford shuffles to hide something behind his back. “Perhaps we should have cleared the lab first…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I’m not _really _that dangerous,” Entrapta assures us. Ford still frowns. She continues, “ _I’m _the one that knew that activating the Heart of Etheria was a bad idea, and tried to stop that overlord from using it.”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“What’s the Heart of Etheria?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“We’re not getting into it!” Glimmer quickly snaps. “J-just finish with your writing, there, and we’ll figure out the going to Etheria business.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Ford purses his lips. “Aw, yes. We probably can’t stay long…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“That’s fine, it’s more just for fun!” Entrapta is currently looking at the deactivated portal through the glass. “That’s really pretty, by the way. Interdemensional and non-fuctional from the looks of it. I like the design. Though it could use space more effectively…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Ford turns, his eyebrows raised. “You think so?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Oh, definitely. May I?” Entrapta raps at the glass with her hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Ford, hesitant, finally musters, “Alright. But please don’t touch too much. Last time…well, that’s how the demon came in.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Understood! Last time we had a portal we joined the rest of the universe and Horde Prime found us. After you!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________With Ford and Entrapta busy, I turn back to Glimmer. “So…this teleportation…could you explain that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Glimmer sighs and nods, seeming relieved. “It’s passed on from every queen of Brightmoon. Etheria has a bunch of Runestones that control our magical powers…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________It had been an hour of discussing science with Entrapta and magic with Glimmer when Grunkle Stan came down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Hey, nerds: the welcome party’s here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Thanks, Grunkle Stan!” I say, placing my final notes in my journal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Welcome party?” Glimmer looks confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Yeah. Mabel and I live in California - uh, far away from here. But we visit every summer.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Yeah, so get up here, kid. Bring the crazy-haired chicks with you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Upstairs, Mabel was at the door, giggling with Candy, Grenda, and Bow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“So you’re from another dimension?” Candy sounded dreamy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Mabel squealed. “Yes! But don’t drool girls, he’s taken.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Since when did you have dibs!?” Grenda yells._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Bow stiffens. “I-I’m twenty…” Bow says weakly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“He has a girlfriend,” Mabel explains. She pauses and points excitedly to Glimmer. “That’s her! Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon!” She smirks and nudges Candy. “Apparently she’s a good kisser!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Glimmer gasps. “BOW!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“W-well, we were talking stories, honey! I-I didn’t say anything past that!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Glimmer teleports over to him, hugging his arm. “Better not have, dummy…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“As touching as this is, girls, can we not let the mosquitos in?” I walk over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Grenda gives an over-exasperated sigh. “Such a party-pooper, Dipper!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________But they come inside anyways._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Eventually a whole gang is around us, including Wendy, McGucket, and Pacifica. They’re all fascinated with Entrapta, Glimmer, and Bow, and I can’t blame them, even if I am a bit butt-hurt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“ _We’re _the ones who are here from out of town,” I mumble at some point to Mabel over dinner.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“ _They’re _from out of the dimension, Dip. Besides, they have really cool hair. Especially Glimmer. Like, she actually gets to be sparkly by genetics. Can you imagine?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________The evening drags on until Entrapta suddenly stands on her chair, making everybody tense. She raises a glass and Glimmer looks insanely embarassed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Hello, friends! I have an announcement: we’re taking your friends Dipper and Ford to Etheria tonight! And I’d like to thank you for agreeing to that!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’m sorry, what?” Mabel stands up. “You’re what?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I guess we forgot to mention?” Ford hedges._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What the hell? Are you insane, Ford? Going into another dimension?” Stan stands up so fast he knocks over his plate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“And you didn’t invite us?” Wendy crosses her arms, clenching her jaw._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Ah….” Entrapta tugs at the strap of her overalls. “Did I speak out of turn…? I’m sorry, I just assumed they knew…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well they know now.” Ford stands up and places his hands on the table. “Yes, we’re going to Etheria. You can’t stop us, Stan, and it’s not dangerous. They’re aliens, yes, but they’re polite and frankly very technologically advanced.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Fine,” Wendy says. “But we’re going with you. No way I’m missing out on another epic summer. The last few have been boring as balls. No offence, guys, but you really don’t liven things up too much when they isn’t a demon trying to kill us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Thanks, Wendy.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “But you guys can’t go!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Why not?” Bow shrugs and takes another bite of supper. “The castle’s huge, and almost all of our friends have seperate ones anyways, so space isn’t an issue. The portal’s extremely safe, we all went through it just fine. And like Entrapta said, it’s for fun more than anything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“That’s true! The real test was just getting here!” Entrapta taps a spoon against her glass using her hair. “Allow me to correct my speech! We’re taking all of you to Etheria!” She throws up her hands and laughs giddily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What? No, no, you’re not.” Ford tries to quell the chatter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Let’s see this place. Maybe they’ll be babes and treasure.” Stan sits back down and places his hands behind his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’m in!” Soos high-fives Entrapta’s hair as it comes close._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“No, no, guys, what if it’s - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Dipper.” Wendy stops me by grabbing my hand. “Listen. They say it’s safe - I know you just met them, but they seem cool. Like really cool. That Bow dude has a better workout schedule than I do. And apparently there’s really buff lesbians over there, and that’s kinda my jam.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________I furrow my brow. “But what if - ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Dude, it’s okay.” Her eyes soften. “Nothing bad’s gonna happen as long as we got the gang, you know?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________I sigh. Slowly I smile back. “Yeah…I guess you’re right.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“We’re really doing this?” Ford looks half-annoyed, half-terrified._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Seems like it!” Entrapta claps her hair together. “Bow, get out the device - can you all get packed within the hour?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Strangers and White Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is awoken to something weird going on. It's not an akuma? Then...what is it? And who are these weird people talking about other dimensions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place around three years after they've gotten their miraculous, so they're 16. I haven't watched the last few episode (I know, I know, I'm terrible), but Cat Blanc hit hard so I added some story with that! I also took a bit of a darker turn with the story of miraculous (because honestly if miraculous fanfictions don't talk about nightmares and/or abusive Gabriel, then what's the point?)
> 
> Also this is slightly rushed b/c I had a lot of story I wanted to get in. Might come back and flush this out more later.
> 
> Also Marinette's a bit of a jerk in this. Don't worry, she's chill out later in the fic (:

**Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s POV**

“Marinette? Marinette!” A foggy voice enters my consious. “ _Marinette!”_

I’m snapped awake by a tiny hand striking my face sharply. I sit bolt upright. “ _Akuma!_ Where’s the akuma!?” I spring out of bed and get into a fighting position.

“I don’t know about an akuma, but there’s some sort of wierd activity going on.” My kwami Tikki flies swiftly to the alarm system set up behind my computer. “It’s…well, I don’t know exactly what it is. But I don’t think it’s good. We need to check it out - it seems to be happening around this block.”

“I’ll call the whole team,” I suggest. “Tikki, spots on!”

Seconds later I’m swinging out of my room and off my balcony using my magical yo-yo. I land on a roof nearby. I swipe my yo-yo to its phone function and quickly send alarms to my team-members - only three of which I know with certainty will come. Because I know their identities, I use their regular phone-numbers. The other? I have no idea who he really is. So I’ll just have to hope he’s suited up.

A thump sounds on the rooftop right behind me. I flinch, but take a deep breath. I’m not being attacked yet. I turn and my heart flutters. _Mes étoils,_ I’m overjoyed that he’s in black. “Nice of you to drop by.”

“Where’s the akuma?” Cat Noir, my main partner in superhero business, comes to stand beside me, his iridescent green eyes on the horizon line.

“No akuma. Wierd activity. At least that’s what Tikki said. But I haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Sure you just didn’t call me up here for a date?” He sends me a cheeky grin.

It’s been a while since he’s been so flirty with me. It catches me off gaurd. He used to do it all the time when we were younger, but nowadays he rarely uses any pick-up lines. I fight down a blush. “I’m sure, Cat.”

His grin disinigrates, replaced with a grimace. He’s not looking at me, though, he’s looking past me. I follow his gaze and my eyes go wide. A glowing white orb has descended onto a building’s roof not far away.

Two more thumps on the roof. “Let me guess,” a voice says. “We’re here because of whatever that glowing thing is?”

“Pretty sure,” I affirm.

I feel Rena Rouge and Carapace walk closer to us, also staring at the alien object. “What do you think it is?” Rena asks.

“No idea,” I say. “But it could be dangerous.”

“Last I checked Mayura and Hawkmoth can’t do that,” Carapace mumbles.

Another thump. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothing much, Queenie.” Rena squints. “Is it just me, or is it…growing?”

Cat Noir smirks. “That’s what she - ”

I smack his arm. “ _Don’t._ ”

There’s suddenly a burst of the strongest light I’ve ever seen. In a second it’s gone, and in its wake four strange figures appear.

“Where are we?” One has a nasal voice that cuts through the space between us.

I immiedately jump over to them. I hold out my yo-yo like a threat. “Who are you? _What_ are you? Are you some new akuma?”

“A-what now?” The one that looks like an older man - can’t trust it’s not in disguise - pulls out a journal and hovers a pen over it.

“Akuma!” I spit out through gritted teeth. “Now what are you? Answer me.”

The one that looks like a young adult holds up its hands as though in surrender. “We don’t mean any harm, ma’am. We’re here from…well, this will probably sound insane, but we’re from another dimension. We’re on a mission to find other universes, but we’re like diplomats! No malice intended here!”

The nasaly one shoves a mask over its face. “Your uniform appears to be adered to your being…how interesting…”

From the sounds behind me, my team has joined me on the other rooftop. “What’s the deal, LB?” Rena holds out her flute menacingly, directed at the young adult.

It holds its hands up higher. “ _Again,_ interdimesional diplomats, ma’am.”

“That’s what they all say,” Cat Noir jokes.

“Do they?” The nasal one throws up its mask. “Do you get many?”

“It - uh…it was a joke.”

“Ah.” It smiles and starts to cackle. “That’s _funnnnny!_ ”

“Hilarious,” the shortest says. “But um, anyways, uh…well, I’m Dipper Pines, this is my great uncle Ford, this is Bow, and this is Princess Entrapta.” He points to each in turn.

“And you’re really just ‘interdimensional diplomats?’” I’m hardly convinced.

“Sure are. Entrapta and I are from Etheria, and Dipper and Ford are from Earth.”

“Ah-ha!” I leap closer. “That proves you’re lying! _This_ is earth!”

Entrapta frowns. “It is? Did we get the wrong coorinates?”

All four pull out strange tablet devices and look at them. Bow twists his lips. “Hmm…no, I don’t think so.”

“We didn’t,” Ford says with conviction. “But it’s possible this is a paralel universe as opposed to an alernate dimension. Similar, but in this case a different version of Earth - one or two things made it diverge from ours.” I try to ignore the jolt of fear that sends up my spine.

“Ah, of course!” Entrapta puts her tablet away. “Well, there you have it!”

“I’m skeptical,” Rena says lowly.

Bow lowers his hands slightly. “Really, ma’am, it’s the truth.”

“Someone certainly drinks his Repsect Women Juice,” Carapace mumbles, arching an eyebrow.

“Thank you?” Bow looks confused, but he’s smiling.

“Let’s say you’re telling the truth.” I stroll forward, about to continue.

Entrapta nods. “Good. Do you want to come with us then?”

I open and shut my mouth a few times. “I wasn’t done…”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Um - wh-where was I?”

“Let’s say they’re telling the truth,” Cat Noir supplies.

“Right. Let’s say you’re telling the truth - why are you here, exactly? To try and come into our dimension and invade it?”

“No! No, we would never habitate in another dimension without explicit permission. We want you to come with us, really for fun more than anything!” Entrapta’s long pigtails suddenly jump up on their own accord and clap together like two hands. “It’ll be amazing! What are your names?”

The whole team is floored. Cat Noir is the first person to speak; “Ah, um, I’m Cat Noir. This is Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee. We’re superheroes, those aren’t our, like, um, real names.”

“Ah. Alter egos. Intriguing.” Entrapta scratches her chin with a stray peice of hair.

“And what were these akumas you were talking about?” Ford still has his journal at the ready.

I’m about to explain when Queen Bee yells, “IT’S THAT!”

Immediately the team is on edge, snapping our gazes over to where Queen’s pointing. A creature is lurking on the rooftops watching up. Long tentacles of a gooey substance wisp out around it, occasionally snapping out to areas ajacent, crumbing the shingles beneath it.

“Wow…” Entrapta has appeared beside me. Her eyes are wide and sparkling, mouth agape. “It’s…beautiful.”

“It’s _dangerous,_ ” I correct with a growl and shove her behind me.

“We have to figure out what it wants.” Cat Noir shrugs his baton over his shoulders playfully and begins to stroll towards the monster.

“I thought you said it was dangerous, what is he doing?” Entrapta sounds like she’s almost whining, gesturing with her magical hair.

“Baiting it,” Rena answers in a grumble. “A little cat and mouse, if you would.”

“Hey, akumaaaaa ~ ” Cat strikes a pose so ridiculous I would think he’s a model-wannabe. “You really shouldn’t be destroying people’s houses - it’s not very _property_ of you!”

“He makes puns.” Bow is suddenly crying, his hands on either side of his face. “He makes puns and he’s in a cat suit…” A smile stretches across his face. In a whisper, he murmurs, “He is my child…”

“Mabel’s rubbing off on you,” Ford says with a chuckle. “It is a strange tactic he’s got, isn’t it?”

Just as Cat Noir has strolled to the edge of our roof, the monster grabs a car on the street below. The tentacle crumples it and feeds it into the akuma’s gaping maw. “Hungry…you take from nature…now it take from you…” The creature stands on its four legs and runs a tongue along its mouth.

“You might want to take _grammer lessons_ from us,” Cat suggests smugly. He twirls his tail absentmindedly. “So, what, you’re some sort of enviromentalist? You wouldn’t want to hurt an iddy biddy kitten then, would you?” I’m sure he’s flashing it his big sad eyes.

“Miraculous.” A tentacle comes crashing down right where Cat Noir is, but he jumps away at the last moment.

“Shouldn’t you be stopping that thing if it’s so dangerous!?” Dipper flails his hand towards the akuma.

“I am Tent-acle!” The akuma rears up on its hide legs, roaring loudly into the sky. “I destroy things in way of nature! Cut down trees - _no!”_

“We have to find where the akuma is.” Carapace grabs Entrapta’s arm. “It doesn’t like mad-made things - you guys have a lot of technology, right? Keep it hidden!”

“Isn’t that the akuma?” Entrapta asks in confusion.

“There’s like a butterfly thing controlling it,” Queen Bee explains. “It hides inside objects, like, important to the monster.”

“When we find it we purify it and stop the monster,” I add.

Cat Noir is still playing hopscotch with the tentacles. “GUYS! I can’t do this all day!”

“Gotcha.” Bow grabs the bow strapped to his back and notches an arrow. Before anyone can stop him he sends it flying into Tent-acle’s face. It screams and stumbles backwards, clawed hands on its face. “Ford, Dipper, write down everything you can note about it’s physical appearance - see if there’s an object attatched to it. Entrapta, you need to use your laser to get it away from Cat Noir before that whole end of the roof caves in. Ladybug, your yo-yo lets you swing from play to play, right? Take Entrapta with you as far as you can in a radius, we need to see different angles.”

“Wh-what are you doing?” I demand as he searches through his arrows.

“Devising a plan,” Bow says simply. “You said we needed to stop the monster.”

“Roger that.” Ford throws a strange pair of bonaculars to Dipper from within his backpack. “Setting five is metal detection, right, Entrapta?”

“Correct!” Entrapta whips out what looks like a heavy-duty laser pointer and snags me with a clump of hair. “We don’t have all day, that monster will get the arrow out in no time judging by its response.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing, you’ve never faced an akuma!” I struggle out of the hair.

“We’re helping!” Entrapta says. “You should be happy!”

“There’s an object attatched inside it!” Dipper yells. “Connected to roots inside it or something. It looks like a lighter.”

“That’s a good guess.” Rena Rouge sounds impressed.

I grit my teeth. “It was a _lucky_ guess!”

Cat Noir squeaks, scampering away from another tentacle smash. “Speaking of lucky, LB, do you think you could…?”

“Fine!” I snap. “But if they’re wrong - ”

“Don’t go getting jealous,” Rena says with an arched eyebrow and a popped hip. “They’re good at this. So what?”

‘ _I haven’t been doing this for three years to have some wierd interdimensional people outperform me! We don’t even know they’re not evil!’_ I’m tempted to say. But I take a deep breath and purse my lips. “You’re right,” I seethe instead. “Lucky charm.” I toss my yo-yo into the air unceremoniously. A chainsaw flies down from the sky. I gasp and throw my arms out. When it hits, the impact sends me flying forward, and I narrowly avoid cutting my face on the blade.

Rena runs forward. “Whoah! Are you okay?!”

“I’m - ”

The monster suddenly roars. It takes a bound and in a second it’s on our roof. Cat Noir has disappeared somewhere, _merci dieu,_ and now we’re staring at the akuma as it looms over us.

“Cut down trees…”

I snap my attention down to the chainsaw in my hands. “Ah…I see. Thanks, Tikki.”

Before I can register what’s happening, I’m swathed in purple hair, my yo-yo is out of my hands, and I’m swinging.

“Don’t let go of the chainsaw!” Entrapta yells to me.

I attempt to nod, but find my head gripped tightly in her pigtail.

The akuma is following us as we swing around from a nearby rooftop’s chimney, its eyes on the machine in my grasp. I can see Bow gesturing wildly to the team. Rena hold up her flute and nods. Then Bow graps an arrow and we’ve swung so I can’t see them anymore. By the time I’ve craned my neck in the right direction to look again, Bow’s pointing an arrow directly at the akuma. It flies out and a net explodes from the head. The net gets tangled in the akuma’s strange body, seeming hardly to hinder it at all.

I suddenly spot what Dipper must have been taking about - the lighter. It’s tied up tight in knots of what I can only assume is a tree.

“Drop me,” I tell Entrapta.

“Okay!”

I expected her to ask why, but nope, I’m falling headfirst into the akuma’s gelatonious body. ‘ _Okay, then_.’ I take a deep breath before impact and begin moving frantically towards the lighter once inside. The monster is screeching, but it’s all muffled by this goo around me. I’m afraid that if I stop moving I’ll be dissolved - who knows what could happen with an akuma? But it’s a comforting adrenaline, one I feel everyday. And at least it’s not - I stop for a second. Then I shake my head and press on.

By the time I’ve reached the centre, Rena Rouge has got the monster busy with illusions and Carapace is protecting Dipper and Ford as they write things down. Entrapta is shining a flashlight into the monster so I can see the lighter more clearly, and Bow has somehow managed to pin down one of the akuma’s tentacles with some arrow contraption.

I grab at the roots and rear my chainsaw. It takes a minute to get it going in this viscosity, but when I hit the wood it’s chipped away instantly.

The akuma stops chasing illusions and screams in pain. “No! NO! Hurt!”

I wince at the sound. But I’m resolute - I can’t afford to be anything less.

At last the lighter is free and in my hands. I swim up to the surface. By this point my lungs are burning. There’s a figure that appears above me, jumping in. White suit, ice blue eyes. I freeze. ‘ _It must be the light refracting,’_ I think in an attempt to comfort myself. But all logic is thrown out the window when Cat Blanc breaks the surface. I scream, and all the air in me leaves, taken up by the substance around me. Then everything’s black.

I wake up in Cat Noir’s arms. Has he been crying?

“M’lady?” It’s been a long time since he’s called me that. He must really be scared.

I sit up slowly. My chest hurts, a lot, but I’m breathing, and the lighter is still in my hand. “Hey, Cat.” I offer him a soft smile before I struggle to stand up. “Th-thank you.”

“You…you looked really scared when I came for you…you - ” He stops and clears his throat. “Well, you know what I’m gonna say…”

“She’d have told you if she wanted you to know,” I hiss. It comes out a little bit harsher than I intended.

Cat Noir stiffens. “Right. Then let’s just finish this, Ladybug.”

‘ _Guess I won’t be hearing “m’lady” for another two years, then,’_ I think bitterly. I don’t focus on it, though, chosing instead to throw the lighter down and grind my heel into it. A black and purple butterfly flutters out. I catch it and cleanse it in simple routine. I can hear the akuma victim being comforted (“Hey, don’t feel guilty! It’s always good to want to save the enviornment, buddy. Just…a little less agression less time, okay?”). I look back at Cat. He’s not looking at me.

“Hey…I’m sorry I snapped.”

“I just wish you’d tell me what Bunnyx told you,” Cat Noir mumbles. “I thought we were partners?”

“We are!” I reach out my hand to touch his arm. He moves away.

“Then why won’t you tell me? You keep acting like you’re afraid of me, Ladybug. Why? Why do you call _Rena Rouge_ for patrols and not me?” His eyes are watering now and his tail is flicking of its own accord.

I swallow thickly. “I’m…I **am** scared of you, Cat.” It hurts like hell, but it’s honest.

“What?” And he sounds so wounded, so confused, so innocent, that I can’t even meet his gaze.

I hear panting behind us as Carapace comes up around the corner of the chimney. “Alright, we’re all good to go, guys. Now we just have to deal with the, uh, diplomats.”

I’ve almost forgot about them. I nod, gaze still averted. “Right.”

Cat Noir and I join the rest of the team. If they notice that we’re standing far apart, they don’t mention anything.

“So?” Bow straps his bow back around his shoulder. “Will you come with us?”

“I think we should.”

I look at Cat Noir finally. He’s determined, I can tell from the furrow in his brow and the grimace he wears. I hate that grimace. He looks so much better smiling. Not that I get to see his genuine smile much anymore.

“That was one of the fastest times we’ve clensed an akuma,” he explains. “You guys are powerful, and you’re not even magical. Besides…I think I have a plan.” He puts his hands together. “Imagine, we get Hawkmoth to follow us into the portal. In your world, he would be lost and without a guide. We’d trap him, destroy him for good. Especially if there’s any more crack shot archers like you, Bow.”

Bow shakes his head. “I’m told I’m the best. But we do have magical princesses and queens that can control water, ice, lightening, plants, um, sparkles and teleportation, and, uh, being buff and healing, I guess.”

“They also have a brilliant clone scientist,” Ford adds.

“Wow, even better, then.” Cat Noir looks around at us. “So?”

“I agree.” I’ve said it before I can even really rational it fully. “But we’ll need a reason for him to follow us.”

Cat Noir nods. “Yeah, I’ve thought about that…”

I carefully land on my balcony. It’s probably around six o’clock, and maman and papa will be in the bakery by now. Hopefully they won’t hear us sneaking in.

Something gets knocked over behind me. I whirl around. Entrapta is holding onto a plant pot that hovers dangerously to the ground. “S-sorry.”

“Just don’t touch anything!” I say. “We can’t afford for anybody to see or hear us.”

“Got it!” Entrapta salutes with her hair.

I let out a long breath. “G-great. And remember, **no one knows who I really am.** Got it?”

“Mmhmm.”

The boys agreed to go with Cat Noir, and Entrapta with me. I’m starting to think he got the better end of the deal. Entrapta is heartfelt, but a handfull.

I open the trap door and hop down the stairs, whispering the words to my detransformation as I get to the floor. Entrapta follows excitedly.

“Your room is very pink!” She notes. “It’s like Brightmoon!”

“What now?” I look back in confusion as Tikki flies away to get a snack.

“Brightmoon! It’s where we have the portal set up! My kingdom’s lab is not yet equipped for the portal.” Entrapta hops into my wheely chair and spins herself around. “Brightmoon’s very pink, too!”

“Oh. That’s cool.” I sit down on my bed. “Well, um, listen, you can call me Marinette now, okay? That’s my real name.”

“Okay, Marinette.” Entrapta is still enthralled. She cocks her head at the picture above my desk. “These three look familiar…” She’s pointing at the picture from our school trip. Nino and Alya are draped all over each other, laughing, while Adrien and I wear silly glasses. It’s probably my favourite memory. I smile.

“Those are my best friends. Nino and Alya are actually Carapace and Rena Rouge, if you can believe it. Adrien’s pretty famous, so that probably why he looks - ” I realize she wouldn’t know anything about a model from another dimension. “Um, anyways, yeah. They’re…they’re great. But Nino and Alya don’t know I’m Ladybug. They do know about each other, though.”

“And they’re dating?” Entrapta guesses.

“Yeah. How’d you know that?”

Entrapta hesitates. “I don’t get people. But I’m trying to be more observant of them. I live with a lot of couples, so I think I’ve learned a lot about them. Catra and Adora are always together, and so are Bow and Glimmer. It’s like they’re conjoined twins.” She snorts, and it rolls over into a nasally laugh.

I smirk. “Yeah, that’s Alya and Nino, too.”

Tikki comes back with cookie in hand. Entrapta’s jaw immediately drops. “What. Is. That?”

“You remember I told you about kwamis? This is mine, Tikki.”

Tikki bows her head. “Nice to meet you, Entrapta.”

Entrapta gasps. “You know my name!?”

“Yes, I’m essentially always with Marinette when she’s Ladybug.”

“Oh my gawddd!” Entrapta spins around again and takes a notebook out. “Can you explain how that works?”

Tikki looks startled, but she smiles and nods. “Okay, ask away, sweetie.”

Entrapta nods giddily. “So, first question - ”

I watch them with amusmant. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. Entrapta is hanging on every word Tikki says and I’m learning stuff I never knew about Ladybug. After a while, though, I decide I should get ready for the morning.

When I’m out of the shower, Tikki and Entrapta are still talking outside. I smile and shake my head. I turn and look in the mirror. I meet blue eyes. All sound is blocked out and I can’t see anything but those eyes. Ice…everything is cold. He’s screaming my name. Then I’m dead. _Everybody’s_ dead.

I slam a fist into the wall and hang my head. Why the _hell_ did she have to tell me? Now I know there’s another me - **two other mes** \- who suffered. One is dead after heartbreak, totally helpless, the other only lived to erase the first one’s past mistakes. Whatever they were. Part of me wants to know, to stop it. But then vomit hits the back of my throat and I start to cry. What would make Cat Noir - sweet, loving, charming, idiot Cat Noir - turn into a creature that destorys the world and is left staring at its ruins with a white butterfly resting in his palm?

I wonder what happened to him. Hawkmoth’s gone - he’s not akumatized again. He’s alone, and I’m dead. It’s bleak. What would he do? There was water all around us, right? So maybe he’d chose drowning.

“Marinette?”

I wipe at my eyes. “I’m fine, Tikki.”

She doesn’t say anything. She can tell a liar from a mile away. “Okay. Well, you should probably get ready for shcool.”

“Y-yeah. Thanks, Tikki.”

“…I love you, Marinette.”

I sniffle and give a little laugh. “I love you, too, Tikki.”

**Adrien Agreste’s POV**

It’s finally the weekend, just like we agreed upon. I’m awoken by a sweet alarm. I get up and get ready. My brain has half-forgotten the geusts in my house, and even when it rememebers it doesn’t expect to see one of them climbing the rock wall in my bedroom and the other two parusing my library. Not that I mind, but seeing a half-shirted man dangling from my wall is not what I expected first thing in the morning.

“Good morning, Adrien!” Ford shuts a book with a clap.

“Morning.” Dipper’s biting into a pen, the ink dripping down his chin visibly.

Bow climbs down and fans himself. “Hope you don’t mind, just getting in a little workout.”

“Like I said, the place is yours.”

Plagg huffs from his spot on the couch. “Yeah, thanks for that. Crop-top has been bugging me nonstop!”

“He’s just so cute!” Bow squeaks.

“I know,” I mouth, but Plagg sees anyways and hisses at me.

Bow points behind me. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask - is…is that a stripper pole?”

My faces flushes. “Uh…y-yeah…”

“I’m sorry, a **what?** ” Dipper drops his book.

“I-it’s not a big deal! I took lessons for a photoshoot once!” I explain, throwing my hands up in defeat.

“So not only do you have a stripper pole, but you know how to use it?” Bow looks about one second away from having a laughing fit.

“I’m a model, it’s not **that** weird!”

“Hey, no judgement, bud, my dads live like hermits in a library in the woods.” Bow walks over to the pole, smacking it with an arm. “I’ve always wanted to learn…”

I gesture to his exposed abs. “Why doesn’t that suprise me?”

We arrive on the same rooftop we first met on two days ago. Once everybody’s there, I look around. “So…listen, I know we’ve been avoiding this, but I think we’ll need to know each others’ identies for this to work.”

“Just do it,” Entrapta says nonchalantly. “If Hordemoth will be defeated after this anyways, it won’t be a big deal if you guys know, right?”

Like an instict, Ladybug and I lock eyes. “Yeah,” I say with a gulp. “It won’t matter, Ladybug.” I have to catch myself from saying “m’lady.”

She doesn’t look away when she says, “You’re right. L-let’s at least make sure we’re under cover first, though, okay? S-so no one else can see us.”

I nod, finally breaking eyecontact with her. “Y-yeah.”

We find a room on an appartment building’s roof that has stairs leading down. It’s dark, but it’ll do. Entrapta brings out a flashlight and nods encouragingly to Ladybug. She sends a shaky smile back.

Everybody says the commands as one. I shut my eyes tight. As soon as the detransformation is complete, I look up and see her.

‘Marinette…’ I can’t believe it for a minute, then everything makes sense. Before I know it I’m crying and hugging her. “Marinette!”

“I…” She sounds breathless.

I hug her tighter, and I know my tears are getting her shirt all wet, but I can’t seem to care. My best friend is my partner, the two people I trust so much are one in the same. My best friend, the love of my life. My breath hitches. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought of her like that. At least without immediate denial. I draw out of our hug. I’m staring into flawed blue-bell eyes and there’s no denial. Of course I love her.

Marinette pushes my arms away. “I…can’t believe it’s you.” Her chest is falling and rising rapidly. She looks like she’s about to hyperventilate. “Adrien…”

“Yeah, that’s me.” It…it look like she’s **mortified.** “Is that okay?” It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it.

She suddeny laughs, and slaps a hand over her mouth. Then I’m laughing. Then we’re both laughing.

“Of course it’s okay,” Marinette finally gasps out. “I…I’m just…”

“Yeah,” I say. “We’re idiots, huh?”

She sighs and gives me a lopsided smile. “Yeah. Maybe just a little.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, guys? What the **HELL?** ”

I look over at Chloé, Alya, and Nino. I’m not entirely surprised, considering who chose Rena Rouge and Nino. Alya is the one who’s yelled, and her eyes are practically burning.

“Hey, guys.” I give a nervous little wave. “So…I guess we can’t really say ‘nice to meet you?’”

We’re on the roof again. Marinette’s - or rather Ladybug’s - hands are clutching the miraculous box tightly.

“You ready, m’lady?” I just slips out.

Ladybug starts. She looks up at me and bites her lip. “You…called me m’lady,” She whispers.

It’s like that. So simple, and I know why she’s been distant. At least partially. “I thought you didn’t want me to?” ‘ _Why didn’t you ever mention that before?_ ’ I want to say, but I bite my tongue.

“I…” She looks away. “Sorry, it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“I…guess not.”

The air is heavy again.

Dipper walks up and holds a hand to the left side of his chest. “I promise to be a good team member, Ladybug.”

She slips on a fake smile and nods. “Excellent. Daniel Dupins, I welcome you to team miraculous. You will wield the miraculous of the horse.” She opens the box and presents him the glasses. “You will carry it with honour, and will use it only for the good of humantity.”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Ladybug steps back. “You may now transform.”

Dipper says the word and becomes superhuman. In my advanced perphirial, I can see Rena Rouge’s subtle hand signal. So the old Moth fell for it.

I look around and spot the akuma already headed towards us. It’s a strange creature, but I have no time to analyze it.

“Take out your device,” Ladybug says. “Activate the portal. Test out your powers.”

Dipper nods and presents Entrapta’s portal activator. A glowing white ball emerges immediately. I see the akuma pause in confusion.

“Let’s all go - see where you take us, newbie.” I ruffle his hair affectionately - and slightly patrionizingly, to really sell it.

Dipper sets the activator down. “Sure thing, Cat Noir!”

The whole team steps in and the world goes white for a split second. Then I’m staring at Entrapta’s giddy face.

“Welcome to Etheria!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Mes étoils' is French for 'my stars,' a comment expression to express thankfulness like, 'my god.' Speaking of...
> 
> 'Mon dieu' is French for 'my god.'
> 
> 'Daniel Dupins' is my Frenchification of Dipper Pines ('pin' means Pine and 'du' is a prefix for of, used commonly in French last names, like in Dupain, for example).


	3. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Portals bring back memories Adora doesn't like. Memories of Angella. But she's going on the next expedition, and she's going to put a brave face on for Glimmer, who's already freaking out even AFTER going into the portal herself.
> 
> Portals are scary, basically. But maybe they're also exciting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long to update this! I've been working on a lot of stuff with school and other fan fictions. Also this has been a helluva chapter to conceptualize right. Sorry it's so short, too. Life hits ya hard, bro
> 
> Anyways, more consistent updates for Connection coming up! (:

**Adora’s POV**

It’s raining, and I can’t seem to focus on one thing. It’s like everything’s happening so fast. Yesterday I was in the Heart. Heck, yesterday I was in the _Horde_. Now I’m here and it’s all going too fast.

Glimmer lost her mom to the portal, and I can never really know how that feels. The closest I came was when Shadow Weaver died, although she was hardly a mother.

But Glimmer didn’t have to _watch_ Angella die. Didn’t have to see that smile and those eyes that begged a life for the people she loved. She just wanted life for her daughter, for me, for Bow, for her kingdom. Sometimes I still wake up wishing it had been me.

I take a glance over at Catra. She’s sleeping on our long sofa (Glimmer calls it a chaise lounge) with Meelog curled up next to her. She looks so peaceful, a universe away from who she was back then. But that’s not really why I’m looking at her. I just want to breathe her in. This is the exact reason I didn’t let her go into the portal - Angella. Bow and Glimmer barely escaped my lecturing about the dangers.

I look back out at the rain. They made it back, they’re safe and fine. ‘ _Expect that now Bow’s out there again.’_ I shut my eyes and rub them.

“You okay?”

I jump at Catra’s voice. She’s stretching, her tail flicking adorably as she wakes up.

“Why’s that your first question?” I attempt a smirk but it falls flat.

Catra cocks her head. “Because you’re looking outside. You can’t sit still for the life of you, not unless something’s really wrong. What’s up?” She bounds over to me and grabs my middle, resting her head on my chest.

I huff out a tiny laugh. “Honestly…I’m thinking about Angella. I don’t want to loose anybody else.” I wrap my arms tightly around Catra’s shoulders and rest my chin on her head.

Catra grunts in discomfort. Her tail bounces on the bed, slapping pillows in its wake. “Angella, huh?”

“N-not - sweetheart, I wasn’t thinking about _you,_ I was thinking about…well, me. I don’t wanna watch that again.” I hug her tighter but I can already feel her tears on my collarbone.

Somebody knocks on the door. I glance down at Catra. She nods, her face still hidden.

“Come in,” I say.

Glimmer appears in a puff of sparkles. “Hordak says the portal will be ready for another expedition.”

“Does that mean they’re back?” I sit up slightly, careful not to move my girlfriend.

“No.” Glimmer’s eye is twitching. “But Hordak says it’s fine, we’ll go once they’re back, and we can _trust_ Hordak, can’t we?” Glimmer throws her hands in the air and begins to pace. “H-he’s never hurt anybody before, right?”

I don’t like the sound of Glimmer’s voice, it’s getting way too squeaky. “Glimmer - ”

Before I can say anything else, Catra has hopped off my lap and has grabbed Glimmer in a hug so tight that her claws are practically peircing skin. “Hey, we’re all worried, Sparkles. But they’ll be okay. Hordak…” Her eyes catch mine. “He’s different. He was all controled and clone-y back then. Now he’s…well, he’s different. They’ll be okay.”

Glimmer squirms in Catra’s grip. “But - ”

I come up behind Glimmer and wrap my arms both of them. “Catra’s right, Glimmer. They’ll be okay.”

Meelog wraps themself around our legs, and Glimmer finally stops resisting, falling into my back. Silent tears fall down her face. “I just wish I knew for sure, ya know?”

“We _do_ know for sure.” Catra moves on hand to rest on my arm. “They’ll come back safe and sound. You went in, right? And it was fine then.”

“Yeah…” Glimmer shakes her head. “I just…what if - ”

Meelog purrs and winds tighter around us.

Glimmer sighs. “They’ll be fine. They’ll be fine…”

I don’t know how long we all stand there, our hearts thrumming out the rain, waiting for them to be okay, but when it’s over, Glimmer’s stopped crying and I can’t get that look on Angella’s face out of my mind.

\- - -

The flickering and buzzing of the portal does nothing to help me calm down. My foot jumps at the rythym that the noises have set.

“You know, this is all pretty neat.” One of the otherdimensionals, Wendy, is watching all this happen, too. She looks so casual that I wonder if I’m overanalyzing all this.

“Yeah,” I mumble. “Neat.”

There’s a clunk. Glimmer’s comes running into with a bag in tow. “I’m ready! I’m here!”

“Glimmer.” I frown. “I thought you weren’t coming with us?”

She squirms. “I…I’ve decided I’m going. I mean - heck - I did this once, I can do it again!” She puts on a brave face. I hate that look, because that’s exactly how she looked when we planned to go back to the Velvet Glove.

“You don’t have to - ”

“Ah ah! I’m going!” Glimmer giggles, as if she wasn’t just panicking about this two hours ago.

“Yay! Oooh, this’ll be great!” Mabel claps her hands. She gasps and touches Hordak’s shoulder. “Do you think there’s a universe out there where everybody’s a cupid? You could make _anybody_ fall in love?”

Hordak pauses, looking perplexed. “I’m certain,” he says finally. “There are an infinite amount of universes.”

Mabel gasps again. “Set coordinates there, then!”

Hordak groans. “That’s not exactly - ” He hesitates then sighs. “I’ll…I’ll do my best.”

Glimmer grabs my arm out of nowhere. I place my hand over hers, and when I look over she’s rigid. “I…I suddenly…” She smiles and laughs, starting to shake. “I…I don’t know if I can actually do this, Adora…”

“Sure you can. You saved the world, remember? Besides, you, like, rule a whole kingdom - dimension travelling? Nothing compared to that! And you did it before, remember?” I flash her a smile. Maybe I don’t believe everything I’m saying, but I know she needs to hear it.

Glimmer takes a deep breath. “You’re right, you’re right…this…this isn’t like before, with mom…”

I squeeze her hand. “R-right.”

“Oh, yeah, your mom was like an angel, right?” Wendy shoots a finger gun towards Glimmer.

“Y-yes.”

“Angella.”

Everybody looks at Hordak in surprise. His face is twisted, contorting even more as his eyes start to glass over. “Angella…”

“What about her?” Glimmer snaps.

“The portal,” Hordak mumbles. He blinks, and turns around. “I didn’t connect it until now…if you would remind me, your majesty, it was Entrapta’s and my first portal that lead to your mother’s demise, wasn’t it?”

Glimmer grits her teeth and shoves a hand into her hair, tugging. “Y-yes, Hordak. And?”

“Entrapta’s notes…” Hordak suddenly springs up, running around the lab in a frenzy. It’s the complete opposite of his normally buttoned-up demeanor, and leaves everybody speechless. Hordak stills when he grabs papers from a particular drawer of the filing cabinet. “Your majesty…” He hesitates.

“What!?” Glimmer nearly rips his shoulder off turning him around.

Hordak, unphased, flips through the loosely bound pages. “Entrapta always takes thorough notes. She always transcribes them, too.” There’s a hint of pride in his voice. “She would know where to go, it must be in here somewhere.” His eyes snap up to Glimmer’s. “Your majesty, I believe there’s a way we can get back Queen Angella.”

For one beautiful second, everything stops. I can remember Angella like I saw her yesterday. But then her face starts to blur and I wonder if what I remember is the truth. I don’t have to long to wonder - there’s a thunk to the floor.

“Glimmer!” Mabel rushes over to Glimmer, passed out on the ground.

I hurry to pick her up. “Glimmer? Glimmer! Oh my gods, please don’t be dead!”

Glimmer stirs, her eyes slowly opening and a hand going to her head. “Adora…?”

“You fainted.” Wendy leans over Glimmer. “You guys have that here, right?”

“Uh, uh-huh.” Glimmer gulps. She looks up at Hordak and squeaks, “Did you really say…?”

“There’s no certainty, your majesty - ”

“ **Screw** certainty! We can get my mom back?” The way she says it nearly breaks my heart. I’ve never heard Glimmer so hopeful.

Hordak taps his finger against the pages for a moment. “Yes. I believe so, your majesty. If you’ll premit more experimentation, I will do everything in my power to bring her back.”

Glimmer grabs my arm. “Oh my gods…oh my gods…”

I wrap her in a hug. “We’re getting Angella back…” It’s all I can do not to crush her in my excitement.

Glimmer buries her head into my shoulder. “We’re getting her back…”

I can’t know for certain, but for some reason, I think it’s stopped raining.


	4. Glowy Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki are at the North Pole on vacation, visiting the family. Perfectly normal, right? But when Aang and Sokka see a strange glowing far away from the village, they're in for the surprise of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, been a while, hasn't it? Again, this is getting so convoluted. Scenes with eight people all being expository? Spirits help me.

**Aang’s POV**

“Nnnnnngh, was the South Pole always this cold?” Sokka huddles closer to himself in the canoe.

I shrug. “Yeah.”

“How are you not _freezing?_ You’re not even wearing a parka, man!” Sokka waves his hands towards me in annoyance.

“Firebending. Heat.” I emphasize my point with a little flame appearing in my palm.

Sokka groans again. “Never thought I’d wanna be a firebender…”

“I’m surprised you’re so cold. I mean, you _did_ grow up here. And Katara doesn’t find it cold.”

“Katara’s wierd. Plus, Suki and I’ve been on Kyoshi Island for months, and I got used to it. It’s _warm_ there, Aang. It’s _nice_ there. I love my family, but couldn’t they just come visit _us_ for a change?” He sighs. “Whatever, whatever. It’s not the worst.”

I countine to waterbend us along the icy ocean, farther and farther away from the village, while Sokka whines about the cold.

“So I take it you and Suki are staying on Kyoshi?”

Sokka huffs and gestures his hand around lamely. “I mean, she _does_ have a whole career, there, Aang.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And it’s kind of fitting that I’m living on an island that’s named after my brother-in-law’s past incarnation.”

“Whoah, Katara and I - ”

“Shut up, you’re practically married already. Mark my words, you two - ” He stops with a hitched breath.

“…Us two?”

“Aang, you’re the only person who can make a glowy ice-ball, right?”

I stop waterbending, looking up at Sokka in surprise. “Um…probably?”

“Okay. Then I suggest we move promptly the other way.” Sokka points straight behind me, a look over horror painted on his face.

I turn around and am blinded by a sudden explosion of light. When I’ve blinked it back, I’m staring at four people standing on a chunk of ice.

“ **AH! BACK THE OTHER WAY, AANG! BACK THE OTHER WAY!** ” Sokka grabs the paddle he, before this, hasn’t used, and starts paddling madly.

I frantically begin to waterbend us towards the people. “Sokka, stop! Look, they’re cold!”

Indeed, they were all shivering. The brightest one - yes, literally, brightest - was screaming something and burying themself into the tallest one’s side.

“I don’t care! Bright light, Aang! **Bright light!** ”

“I came in a bright light, Sokka!”

“And I hate you! Come on, **back!** ”

Sokka is a strong man, but my waterbending is leagues ahead of his paddling, and soon enough we’re bumping into the ice.

“Ah! Thank Mara! People!” The bright one explodes, then reappears in front of us. At the sight my brain temporarily stops functioning. I hear Sokka scream, then there’s a thump behind me.

“Oh…uh, yeah, sorry. Probably shouldn’t have done that first thing.” She giggles and extends a hand. “Um, hi! I’m Glimmer!”

I find my tongue after a few good seconds searching. “A-Aang…”

“Nice to meet you, Aang. We’re, er - ”

“We’re from another dimension, and we’re _freezing!_ ” The one in bright green stripes waddles over to us, her voice screeching high. “Can you take us to some place warm?”

There’s a groan. I look back. Sokka is slowly coming round, his eyes glossy and a hand on his head. “Aang…Aang, I had the wierdest dream…” He sits up and looks like he’s gonna throw up. “Aw crap. Not a dream.”

I turn back to the strangers. “Another dimension? You’re spirits?”

Glimmer squints and opens her mouth a few times. “Ahh…no. Not spirits. Humans. Different planet and dimension humans, but humans. Are you human?”

“Yes.” I get out of the canoe while Sokka growls at me to get back in. I pay him no mind. “Tell me more while I warm you up.” I grab the striped one’s hands, and start gently firebending enough to enduse heat.

Her eyes widen. “What…is…”

“Firebending. They don’t have that where you come from?” I move on to Glimmer, who gasps as soon as the heat reaches her skin.

“Whoah, whoah, _fire_ bending? That sounds dangerous.” The tall on stalks over to us. I get a chance to get a real look at her and somehow…I feel like I know her. Her eyes glow ethereally, a bright, bright blue, and her hair is pale yellow - almost white - flowing behind her without help of the wind.

“You’re special,” I blurt. It just comes out.

The tall one lerches back. “I’m…sorry? What?”

“S-sorry! It’s just…uh…your… _everything_. It’s…glowy.” I blush at my words. Real concise.

She furrows her eyesbrows. “Uh…yeah. I’m magical.”

I nod hurriedly. “Right, right. Well, here.” I reach for her hands, but she draws them to her chest.

“No, I’m fine. The elements don’t bother me.” She shrugs one shoulder casually, beginning to smirk.

“She _is_ special. She’s ‘She-Ra.’” Glimmer walks up to the tall one and pats her arm. “She’s like a magical warrior princess.”

She-Ra laughs. “Technically, Glimmer, so are you.”

“Nu-uh. A magical warrior _queen._ ”

I immediately bow my head. “Your majesties!”

“Ah, no! No, don’t do that!”

I look up in surprise at both women, who appear very flustered.

“We don’t - ”

“They don’t like the bowing,” the striped one says. She snickers. “ _Much_.”

“Ah. Sorry.” I reach over for the last stranger, and warm her hands.

“That’s so cool!” Her eyes light up, and a blush paints her cheeks.

I smile. “Really? I was hoping it’d be warm!”

She gasps and starts laughing almost uncontrollably. “Oh, hahahaha! Yeah, well, a guy who can do magic - definitely _hot_ if you ask me!”

I arch an eyebrow and slowly move my hands away. “Um…”

“Aang!” Sokka waves his hands frantically. “Can you come over here for second?!”

“Sokka - ”

“Aang! Glowy people! **Glowy people! _”_**

I sigh. “Sokka, they’re not going to hurt us. They just wanted some warmth. You said it was cold yourself!”

“Yes, and I’d like to know why I didn’t get that firebending help of yours!” Sokka hisses.

“Sokka, was it?” Glimmer makes her way over to him. “We really don’t mean any trouble. We’re from another dimension. Actually… _two_ other dimensions. And we’re just here to take some of you back with us for a fun little get-together. Kind of.”

“Ah- _ha!_ You want to kidnap us!” Sokka points his paddle at her threateningly.

Glimmer leaps back. “Gah! No! W-willing people! Not people who don’t want to go!” She side-steps closer to She-Ra. “Adora, could you explain?”

“I thought your name was He-Ra.” Sokka shoves his paddle further towards them, still not getting out of the canoe.

“She-Ra’s my…uh, magical name, I guess.” She exhales, and in a soft glow, looses her amazing tallness, now standing at my height. “My regular name’s Adora.”

Sokka’s grip tigehtens. “AAAAAAAANG!”

“Okay, okay, let’s calm down.” I walk over and step in between Adora and Sokka. “So…you’re from another dimension and you want some people to come with you for fun?”

“Exactly.” Glimmer groans. “I know, it sounds wierd - ”

“No, no,” I interject. “Not that wierd.”

“WHAT!?” Sokka and Glimmer both exclaim.

“Other dimensions exist,” I state simply. “I’ve been to the Spirit world before. It’s not inconcievable to think of other dimensions, as you call them. I myself can’t go - I’m sworn to protect the world, as is my duty as the Avatar. But Sokka could go, and his girlfriend and my girlfriend could go if they wanted.” The thought of my friends - and especially Katara - going into a weird world without me makes me a little queasy, but I know they could handle it.

“Avatar?” Glimmer repeats. “What’s an Avatar?”

“A long line of element-benders who live to serve the world, all reincarnations of each other,” I explain. “There’s a bit more to it than that, but…”

“Yeah, he goes all glowy and stuff,” Sokka huffs.

Adora looks at me in sudden understanding. “Glowy, huh? Sworn to protect your world…”

“Does sound a lot like She-Ra,” Glimmer murmurs.

“Is that your She-Ra? Your Avatar?” No wonder, then.

Adora shakes her head. “Well, we’re not all reincarned or anything, but…kind of. Do you have a sword that makes you Avatar?”

“No. But when I need to, I can go into the Avatar State, and _that’s_ when the glowing happens.”

“Huh.”

“AANG! Can we _please_ go home now?” Sokka tugs at my arm desperately.

“We’re taking them,” I say without hesitation.

“WHAT!?”

“They’re cold.” That’s not the reason.

Sokka glowers, and I know he knows I’m not telling him everything. “Fine,” he spits out. “But if they attack us, I expect full-blown protection.”

“Avatar’s honour.” I do a quick salute and turn back to our new friends. “What were your names, you two?”

“I’m Wendy, that’s Mabel,” the striped-one says. “We’re not princesses or magical or anything.”

“Oh, just _normal_ people from another dimension,” Sokka scoffs.

“I don’t think you’ll all be able to fit in the canoe…” I grab the whistle around my neck and blow. A soft, high-pitched sound cuts through the air, barely audible. Then the wind churns around us and a shape flies high overhead.

“What is that?” Adora shields her eyes and stares up.

I grin. “That’s Appa.”

My sky-bison lands with a flourish onto our iceberg. The girls are speachless.

“Appa will fly us to the village. Won’t you, boy?” I ruffle his fur.

“You have a flying animal,” Adora murmurs. “Sweet stars.” She moves towards Appa and offers her hand hesitantly. He sniffs slowly, rumbling a roar deep in his chest. Then he licks Adora’s hand, covering it with slobber. Adora remains mesmerized.

“Hi,” Adora says. “I’m Adora. Your name’s Appa? It’s nice to meet you.”

Appa roars and Adora looks perplexed. “He doesn’t talk?”

“No,” I say. “Why would he?”

“Oh, well…nothing. My flying animal does, that’s all.” Adora looks slightly disheartened.

I try not to let it get me down, either. “Climb aboard. He still has his saddle on, and he’ll take us to the village in no time.”

“This village,” Glimmer hedges. “You two live there?”

“Yep! It’s also icy, but we’ll get you some nice warm clothes. And our friends will love to meet you.” I airbend myself up onto Appa. “Sokka! Are you coming?”

“What about the canoe?” Sokka laments.

“If Appa flies low enough I can waterbend it with us,” I suggest.

Sokka is about to object, but then shuts his mouth, thinking better. “Fine.” He bregrudgingly gets out of the canoe and shuffles over to Appa.

Glimmer, meanwhile, has grabbed Adora, Wendy, and Mabel. With a flurry of more sparkles, they appear beside me.

“That’s…impressive,” I murmur lamely, at a loss for a better word.

“SCARY!” Sokka corrects as he climbs up Appa’s fur. “It’s SCARY, Aang!”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You guys ready?” I ask once Sokka has crawled in, sticking close to me.

Wendy has a gleam in her eye. “You know it, dude!”

“Let’s do this!” Mabel throws her hands in the air. “Does he have a code-word to take off? Like, ‘To Unicorn Island?’ or something?”

“Uh, not quite. Appa, yipp-yipp!”

Appa growls low. His tail starts to thump at the iceberg, cracking it, and he takes off. I start waterbending the canoe with us, and can hear Wendy and Mabel both shout excitedly behind me.

“YESSSS! THIS IS AWESOME!” I turn around to see Wendy half-hanging out of the saddle. I quickly airbend a breeze to buffet her back into our safe confines, then go back to waterbending the canoe.

“Careful you don’t fall out,” I advise.

“This is amazing!” I squeak at the sudden warmth beside me. “So…” Mabel looks around conspiratorily. “You’re pretty powerful…would you say you’re supernatural, even?” Her eyes grow wide.

“Well…I suppose so. There’s only ever one Avatar.”

Mabel arches an eyebrow. “Oh. So, Aang, how old were you again?”

“Fifteen,” I say. “Mentally and physically I’m fifteen. But I was kind of, er, asleep for a hundred years.”

Mabel gasps. “Oh. My. Goodness. You’re like a vampire!” She puts her hands up to her face and squeals.

“A what now?”

“Doesn’t matter. So…would you be interested in an older woman?”

I nearly fall off of Appa at her question. Mabel quickly helps me up, and I can already feel my face heating. “I, uh, pardon me?” I try my best to keep waterbending the canoe along while not combusting for embarassment.

“Specifically one who’ll turn sixteen in two months,” Mabel says with a smirk.

“No!” I blurt. Mabel looks hurt, and Sokka - from my peripheral - like he has just thought better of smacking me. “Ah, what I meant was, no, thank you. Um, if you were implying yourself, I - oh, gosh - nngh, see I already have a girlfriend. I mentioned her on the iceberg, remember?”

The frown on Mabel’s face deepens. “Oh, right.”

“Sorry. Not that I’m not flattered, but Katara and I - ” I pause. “We’re…we’re happy.” That’s not the right word. Of course we’re _happy,_ but it’s not just about being happy. I have no idea how to convey the love I have for Katara in words. How do you explain that you’d rather love somebody than have eternal enlightenment?

Mabel laughs softly. I look over in surprise, after realizing I’d been staring off to the horizon with Katara in my mind’s eye. “Well, at least I have another couple to learn about.” Mabel shifts her position so her legs are crossed, and places her hands in her lap. “Sooooooo, where’d you two meet?”

I blink in surprise. Her demeanor has radiacally shifted, and she geniunely looks interested in learning about how I met Katara. “Um…uh, well, that hundred year sleep? She freed me from it. She was the first face I saw after I had been my most scared…”

“Ahem!” Sokka elbows me roughly.

“And Sokka was there, too.”

“Thank you!” Sokka leans over my shoulder, looking at Mabel. “Katara’s my sister.”

“Oh, so you’re like brother-in-laws!”

“Yes,” Sokka says just as I clarify, “No.”

“But if you really want to hear about a couple - ” Sokka stands up and shoots his hand out, setting up an epic tale. “Let me tell you the story of the great warrior Suki and the handsome rogue she fell in love with on Kyoshi Island!”

“Oooh!” Mabel claps and turns her attention immediately to Sokka. She smirks again, once more conspiratorial. “Was that rogue you?”

“Obviously!” Sokka clears his throat. “Once upon a time, there was a lovely village on the beautiful Kyoshi Island. There lived there a stunning, talented, and brave Kyoshi warrior named Suki…”

By the time Sokka’s gotten to the part about saving Suki from the Boiling Rock, I can see the people of the village.

Another warmth come near. It clears its throat. “So…” Adora’s voice. “Um, this will sound dumb, but…it’s… _nice_ to meet somebody who - ”

“Yeah,” I say, looking over and smiling. “It is.”

Adora’s expression softens in graditude. “My friends…don’t quite get it. I love them, but they don’t…they’ve never…” Adora closes the hands on her lap into fists.

“I know what you mean.” I fix my gaze ahead. “It’s hard to be the one who has to save the world.”

“To have a destiny you can’t escape.” Adora sounds close to tears. She sighs and sniffles. “I mean, I did, I guess, but…only because of Catra.”

“Catra?” I ask.

“My girlfriend. My best friend.”

Just as Adora says it, mine comes into focus.

“There you boys are!” Katara shouts up, waving.

We land with a large upturn of air just beisde Katara. I slide off of Appa and walk over. When I reach Katara, I kiss her cheek and she hums happily. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Hey.” Katara’s breath hitches. I follow her gaze to our new friends. “Um, Aang - ”

“Oh, yeah, er…they’re from another dimension and want people to go back with them.”

Katara frowns at me. “Aang.”

“I’m serious!”

Katara opens her mouth, like she’s going to argue, but she stops as she finishes scanning my face. “You’re…you really _are_ serious…” Katara whirls to face our guests. “Uh…and…th-they’re friendly?” She looks surprised at what she’s saying, too.

“Yeah. Guys, come over here! Let me introduce you!” I wave the girls over.

Glimmer teleports down with Mabel, Wendy, Adora, and Sokka. Katara looks like she might faint. Either that or smack them upside the head with a water-whip.

“Gah!” Sokka stumbles away from Glimmer, holding his hands in front of his face. “Wh - wh - wh - ” He just keeps like that for a good minute before Adora pokes his arm expirimentally and he snaps out of it. “I can’t believe we just did that…”

“Aaaaaaaang? Sweetie, why did they just disappear and reappear? And with _my brotherrrr_?”

“Glimmer can teleport.”

“ _Glimmer?_ ” Katara tenses as they near. “That’s a name?” She hisses.

“In their world, yes.” I gesture to each in turn. “This is Adora, Glimmer, Mabel, and Wendy. Girls, this is Katara.”

Katara clenches her jaw, still on edge. “Hi there…”

“Nice to meet you.” Adora waves awkardly. “We’re…well, this is wierd. We’re here to take people to our dimension. For fun! Not kidnapping!”

Katara glances over at me. “They’re really not dangerous? Or dellusional?”

“Avatar’s honour.” I smile and wink at her.

Katara sighs. “Your intution strikes again.” She bows politely to our strange new aquaintances. “Nice to meet you, too. You must be freezing, I’ll see if we have any extra parkas. In the meantime, Aang, take them inside.”

“Right this way, ladies.” I lead Adora, Glimmer, Wendy, and Mabel into Hakoda’s igloo. Sokka follows us, still looking grumpy about the teleporation fiasco.

“So, can you teach us that whole bending thing?” Wendy sits down and crosses her legs in front of her casually.

“Uh, it’s kind of…kind of genetic. Only kind of. It’s - ah, how do I explain it?”

“Wierd,” Sokka offers. “It’s wierd.”

Wendy frowns. “That sucks. I was hoping I could make like a tornado or something.”

“Okay!” Glimmer claps her hand, drawing our attention. “Not that I’m not loving being here, but I’d love to get back home more; so who’s coming with us?”

Sokka sighs dramatically. “I mean…it would be cool…”

My heart sinks slightly. “L-like I said, I can’t go.” I lock eyes with Adora. For a second it’s like I’m staring at Kyoshi, or Roku, or maybe my own reflection. It’s familiar, it’s understanding. I snap my gaze away. “But we’ll ask Katara and Suki.”

“You’ll ask us what?” Katara comes in with four parkas in her arms, Suki trailing after.

Suki stops in her tracks. “Wow…you weren’t lying! H-hi! Nice to meet you, I’m Suki.”

Mabel squeals and runs up. “You’re Sokka’s girlfriend! Oh my gaaaaaaaaawd, I can totally see it!”

Sokka grins, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Painting perfect, eh?”

“To- _o_ -tally.”

Katara nudges me, and I look over. “What were you going to ask us?” She says as she places down the parkas.

“Oh, if you guys wanted to go with Adora back to her dimension. Sokka already said he’d be interested.”

Katara purses her lips and looks skyward. “I don’t know, Aang…that seems…scary.” Then she smiles and grabs my hand, laughing lightly. “But hey, if I let fear stop me, we wouldn’t be here, would we?” She squeezes and lets go. “It’s like leaving home all over again…”

“So you’re going to go?” I try to hide my dissapointment. Katara should adventure if she wants to, even if she’s leaving me behind, even if I’m going to miss her, even if it’s a long time until I see her again.

“Yeah…yeah, I think I am.” Katara’s biting her lip now, eyes alight with excitment. She turns to Glimmer. “When are we going?”

“Oh. Uh, well, whenever you’re ready!”

“Amazing. How long are we staying?”

“However long you want,” Adora says. “But, you know, probably only a week or two, if that.”

“Will do. Come on, Aang, let’s get packed.”

I move my hand away from hers. “I’m not going.”

“What?” Katara frowns, her brow furrowing. “Why not?”

“Because I’m the Avatar, sweetie. I have to stay here.” I gesture to the air in front of me.

Katara huffs and crosses her arms. “Babe, you _do_ remember that we’re here because you have a break from confrences and meetings, right? We don’t have to be anywhere for two months!”

“It’s more than meetings, Katara - ”

“Then we’ll have a way to contact my dad incase something goes wrong. I know you want to go.”

“I never said - ”

Katara places her hands on her hips.

I sigh. “Okay, yeah, I want to go, but - ”

“Then stop worrying. You deserve to explore things, too, you know. Besides, you honestly think we’d have fun without you?”

“I mean, I would.”

“Shut up, Sokka.” Katara grabs my shoulders. She flashes me that smile that makes my heart melt. “We’ll figure it out, ‘kay?”

“Nnnnnnngh…okay.”

Adora appears beside us. “Uh, sorry to interupt, but did you say you needed a way to communicate to somebody here?” She pulls out a strange flat square. “We have these. Communication pads. Do you guys have them here?” She presses something and the centre starts to radiate light, a small human-cat hybrid drawing blinking on it.

“What is that?” Katara leans forward.

“Adora?” The rectangle asks, suddenly changing to a moving pivture of the same human-cat hybrid. Katara leaps back in surprise.

“A communication pad,” Adora reiterates. “I take it you don’t have them.”

“Adora? Adora, what’s wrong, why did you call?” The creature looks panicked.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie. I’m just demonstrating the pad.”

Glimmer jumps in front of us, talking to the creature. “Catra, are Bow and the others back yet? Are they okay???”

The creature snorts. “Your precious boyfriend is fine, Sparkles. Are _you guys_ okay?”

“We’re good.”

“That’s Catra?” I point to the screen.

Adora nods, her face lighting up. “Catra, this is Aang and Katara. Aang’s a glowy person too!”

“I’m sorry, he’s a _what_?”

“Like She-Ra!” Adora squeaks excitedly. She turns the pad, and we can only see the reverse image of Catra, bright blue.

“So…that’s a real person?” Katara clarifies.

“Yep! She has one of these and we talk using them!” Adora waves the pad.

“GAH! Adora, you’ll make me motion sick!”

“Sorry.” Adora brings the pad down. “Okay, listen, we’ll be back soon. I’ve gotta say goodbye for now. Love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, love you, too.”

Adora presses the same button and the image dissapears. She looks back up at us. “There you go. We can give one to your dad, and we have plently at home.” She hands the communication pad to Katra. “In fact, give this one.”

Katara hesitantly takes the strange object. “Thanks…” she mumbles, inspecting it with suspiscion.

“Does Hakoda know about the situation?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? You guys come home with four strange girls, _everybody’s_ gonna know immediately. Plus I made sure to spread the word.” Katara nods to the parkas lying beside her. “By the way, you guys should wear those until we’re ready. It gets cold up here.”

Adora gratefully grabs a parka and slips it on. She looks so happy when she has it on. “Thank you!”

“She never gets to change her jacket,” Glimmer explains teasingly. “It’s like she’s sewn to that thing or something!”

“I take it off sometimes!” Adora scoffs. She nuzzles into the parka, mumbling, “This is comfy, that’s all…”

Katara pulls me aside. “So, we’re going?”

“Uh…yeah, I guess so.”

Sokka and Suki walk up to us. “Count us in.” Sokka snaps his fingers. “I’ll get Hawkie to get Toph and Zuko here. If we leave them out, they’ll both be mad. Well, pouty in Zuko’s case, but that’s almost worse.”

“Zuko’s the Firelord, Sokka, we can’t just ask him to leave his nation.”

“His advisors are amazing. Even the Firelord deserves a vacation, Aang.” Katara smirks. “Besides, Zuko _will_ be pouty if he doesn’t even get _invited._ ”

“Don’t forget Iroh and Mai,” Suki chimes in. “Oh, and Ty Lee. That girl never gets a day off at the dojo. Heck, I invited her to come with us on _this_ trip and she said no.”

“Great, it’s settled then. A message to the Fire Palace, Kyoshi Island, and wherever Toph’s hanging out now. Probably Ba Sing Se.” Katara starts to walk out. “I’ll give this to dad. You guys get our geusts set up, since it’ll be a while until the full Gaang gets here.”

I watch her go, still slightly terrified. What if when I’m gone, something bad happens? The last time I left the world… I push the thought out of my mind. This isn’t the same. I’m not hiding, and we won’t be gone a hundred years. The world can handle itself for a week or two.

———

**Azula’s POV**

I watch the smoke pour out of the vessel’s great engine. It dissolves into the air, at the mercy of the great sky. I press my hands agianst the porthole, desperate to get a sight of that wretched land. I want to make sure we’re far from it.

The ship pulls away and the Fire Nation grows smaller and smaller. A smile drifts across my face. Zu-Zu thought he was going on some vacation with the Avatar and his peasant friends, was it?

In a few minutes I’m rumaging through Zuko’s bags. _But where, oh where, are you going, brother? You’ve told no one._ I find an empty bag and have no doubt in my mind he’ll take it with him. We’ll be to their meeting spot of the North Pole in a few weeks time, maybe only one if we’re lucky. Zu-Zu lied when he said _that’s_ where he was vacationing. Why, if it was, he wouldn’t be so anxious. And I could tell that from his asslym visit.

I lay low and wait for the day when we approach that cold, desolate excuse for a land.

It crosses my mind that I’m, in fact, going to stuff myself into a suitcase. _What have I become? I used to be the Fire Lord._ But desperate times call for desperate measures. Brother can’t get away that easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know they're not even in the same universe, but. I just. I love the idea that Aang and Adora are friends.
> 
> Also, just to clarify, I enjoy writing this, a lot. It's just that I have SO MANY IDEAS AND STORYLINES THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO ORGANIZE THEM IN A TIMELY MANNER. Ahem. Anyways. Next chapter we'll be going to Mewni-Earth :3

**Author's Note:**

> Will writing a fanfic this convoluted probably kill me? Yes.
> 
> Will I write it anyway? Yes.


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